[  Copyright,  1886.] 


No.  76. 


GIVERS  FOR- JESUS. 


“Of  a  truth,  I  say  unto  you  that  this — hath  cast  in  more  than  they  all;  for 
all  these  have  of  their  abundance  cast  into  the  offerings  of  God  ;  but  she  of 
her  penury  hath  cast  in  all — that  she  had.” — St.  Luke,  21  :  3,  4. 

IN  the  beautiful  island  of  Ceylon  many  years  ago,  the  native 
Christians  who  had  long  worshipped  in  bungalows  and  old 
Dutch  chapels,  decided  that  they  must  have  a  church  built 
for  themselves.  Enthusiastic  givers  were  each  eager  to  forward 
the  new  enterprise.  But  to  the  amazment  of  all,  Maria  Peabody 
a  lone  orphan  girl,  who  had  been  a  beneficiary  in  the  girl’s 
school  at  Oodooville,  came  forward  and  offered  to  give  the  land 
upon  which  to  build,  which  was  the  best  site  in  her  native  village. 

Not  only  was  it  all  she  owned  in  this  world,  but  far  more,  it 
was  her  marriage  portion,  and  in  making  this  gift,  in  the  eyes  of 
every  native  she  renounced  all  hopes  of  being  married.  As  this 
alternative  in  the  East  was  regarded  as  an  awful  step,  many 
thought  her  beside  herself  and  tried  to  persuade  her  from  such 
an  act  of  renunciation.  “  No,”  said  Maria,  “  I  have  given  it  to 
Jesus,  and  as  He  has  accepted  it,  you  must.” 


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And  so  to-day  the  first  Christian  Church  in  Ceylon,  stands 
upon  land  given  by  a  poor  orphan  girl. 

The  deed  was  noised  abroad,  and  came  to  the  knowledge  of 
a  young  theological  student,  who  was  a'so  a  beneficiary  of  the 
mission,  and  it  touched  his  heart.  Neither  could  he  rest  until 
he  had  sought  and  won  the  rare  and  noble  maiden,  who  was 
willing  to  give  up  so  much  in  her  Master’s  cause. 

Some  one  in  the  United  States  had  been  for  years  contribu¬ 
ting  twenty  dollars  annually,  for  the  support  of  this  young  Hindu 
girl,  but  the  donor  was  unknown.  Rev.  Dr.  Poor,  a  missionary 
in  Ceylon,  visiting  America  about  that  time,  longed  to  ascertain 
who  was  the  faithful  sower  and  report  the  wonderful  harvest. 

Finding  himself  in  Hanover,  N.  H.,  preaching  to  the  stu¬ 
dents  of  Dartmouth  College,  he  happened  in  conversation  to 
hear  some  one  speak  of  Mrs.  Peabody,  and  repeated  “  Peabody; 
what  Peabody  ?”  “  Mrs.  Maria  Peabody,  who  resides  here,  the 

widow  of  a  former  Professor,”  was  the  answer.  “  Oh!  I  must 
see  her  before  I  leave,”  said  the  earnest  man,  about  to  continue 
his  journey. 

The  first  words  after  an  introduction  at  her  house  were:  “  I 
have  come  to  bring  you  a  glad  report,  for  I  cannot  but  think 
that  it  is  to  you,  we  in  Ceylon  owe  the  opportunity  of  educating 
one  who  has  proved  as  lovely  and  consistent  a  native  convert,  as 
we  have  ever  had.  She  is  exceptionally  interesting,  devotedly 
pious  and  bears  your  name.” 

“Alas!”  said  the  lady,  “Although  the  girl  bears  my  name, 
I  wish  I  could  claim  the  honor  of  educating  her;  it  belongs  not  to 


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me,  but  to  Louisa  Osborne,  my  poor  colored  cook.  Some  years 
ago  in  Salem,  Mass.,  she  came  to  me  after  an  evening  meeting, 
saying:  “I  have  just  heard  that  if  anybody  would  give  twenty 
dollars  a  year,  they  could  support  and  educate  a  child  in  Ceylon, 
and  I  have  decided  to  do  it.  They  say  that  along  with  the 
money,  I  can  send  a  name,  and  I  have  come  mistress,  to  ask 
you  if  you  would  object  to  my  sending  yours.’  “At  that  time,” 
continued  the  lady,  “  a  servant’s  wages  ranged  from  a  dollar  to 
a  dollar  and  a  half  a  week,  yet  my  cook  had  for  a  long  time  been 
contributing  half  a  dollar  each  month,  at  the  monthly  concert  for 
foreign  missions.  There  were  those  who  expostulated  with  her 
for  giving  away  so  much  for  one  in  her  circumstances,  as  a  time 
might  come  when  she  could  not  earn.  ‘  I  have  thought  it  all 
over, ’she  would  reply,  ‘and  concluded  I  would  rather  give  what 
I  can  while  I  am  earning,  and  then  if  I  lose  my  health  and  can¬ 
not  work,  why  there  is  the  poor-house,  and  I  can  go  there.  You 
see  they  have  no  poor-house  in  heathen  lands  for  it  is  only 
Christians  who  care  for  the  poor.’  ” 

In  telling  this  story,  Dr.  Poor  used  to  pause  at  this  point  and 
exclaim:  “  To  the  poor-house !  Do  you  believe  God  would  ever  let 
that  good  woman  die  in  the  poor-house  ?  Never!”  We  shall  see. 

The  missionary  learned  that  the  last  known  of  Louisa 
Osborne,  she  was  residing  in  Lowell,  Mass.  In  due  time  his 
duties  called  him  to  that  city.  At  the  close  of  an  evening  service 
before  a  crowded  house  he  related  among  missionary  incidents, 
as  a  crowning  triumph, ^the  story  of  Louisa  Osborne  and  Maria 
Peabody.  The  disinterested  devotion,  self-sacrifice,  and  implicit 


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faith  and  zeal  of  the  Christian  giver  in  favored  America,  has  been 
developed,  matured,  and  well  nigh  eclipsed,  by  her  faithful 
namesake  in  far-off  benighted  India.  His  heart  glowing  with 
zeal  and  deeply  stirred  by  the  fresh  retrospect  of  the  triumphs  of 
the  Gospel  over  heathenism,  he  exclaimed:  “  If  there  is  any  one 
present  who  knows  of  that  good  woman  Louisa  Osborne  and 
will  lead  me  to  her,  I  shall  be  greatly  obliged.  ”  The  benediction 
pronounced  and  the  crowd  dispersing,  Dr.  Poor  passed  down 
one  of  the  aisles  chatting  with  the  pastor,  when  he  espied  a  quiet 
little  figure  apparently  awaiting  for  him.  Could  it  be  ?  Yes  it 
was  a  colored  woman,  and  it  must  be  Louisa  Osborne.  With 
quickened  step  he  reached  her,  exclaiming  in  tones  of  suppressed 
emotion,  “  I  believe  this  is  my  sister  in  Christ,  Louisa  Osborne  ?  ” 
“That  is  my  name,”  was  the  calm  reply.  “Well,  God  bless  you 
Louisa;  you  have  heard  my  report,  and  know  all.  But  before 
we  part,  probably  never  to  meet  again  in  this  world,  I  want  you 
to  answer  me  one  question.  What  made  you  do  it  ?  ”  With 
down  cast  eyes  and  in  a  low  and  trembling  voice  she  replied: 
“Well  I  do  not  know,  but  I  guess  it  was  my  Lord  Jesus.” 

They  parted  only  to  meet  in  the  streets  of  the  New  Jeru¬ 
salem,  for  the  missionary  returned  to  his  adopted  home  where, 
ere  long,  the  loving  hands  of  his  faithful  native  brethern,  bore 
him  to  his  honored  grave.  The  humble  hand-maiden  of  the 
Lord  labored  meekly  on  a  while  and  is  ending  her  failing  days, 
not  in  a  poor  house  verily,  but  through  the  efforts  of  those  who 
knew  her  best,  in  a  pleasant,  comfortable  Old  Ladies’  Home. 
“  Him  that  honoreth  Me  I  will  honor.” 


5 


The  seal  of  Calvin,  one  of  the  great  apostles  of  the  Reforma¬ 
tion,  represents  a  hand  holding  a  burning  heart,  illustrative  of 
his  life-principle:  I  give  Thee  all;  I  keep  back  nothing  for 
myself.  Centuries  afterward,  two  humble  followers  of  the 
Master  caught  a  kindred  inspiration  from  the  same  divine  source. 
Shall  we,  to  whom  so  much  of  privilege  and  bounty  is  granted, 
lay  down  this  marvelous  story  of  self-renunciation,  and  let  its 
lesson  be  lost  on  our  own  lives  ? 

To  WHOM  MUCH  IS  GIVEN,  MUCH  ALSO  WILL  BE  REQUIRED. 


SKETCH  OF  LOUISA  OSBORNE. 


Louisa  Osborne  was  born  in  Boston  more  than  seventy 
years  ago,  and  when  ten  or  twelve  years  of  age  her  mother  died. 
She  was  left  to  the  care  of  a  stepfather,  who  had  always  been 
very  kind  to  the  child,  but  having  some  better  chance  for  em¬ 
ployment  in  a  distant  State,  decided  to  place  little  Louisa  where 
she  could  be  taught  a  renumerative  trade.  Shortly  after,  Louisa 
was  told  she  was  to  have  a  ride,  and  was  driven  to  the  poor- 
house  at  Charlestown.  The  man  and  woman  in  charge  chanced 
to  have  known  her  mother,  and  became  much  interested  in  this 
child  and  decided  to  place  her  in  a  comfortable  home.  Louisa 
was  bound  in  her  eighteenth  year  to  a  farmer,  who  promised  to 
send  the  girl  to  school  some  months  of  the  year. 

She  remembered  sadly  the  woman  who  met  her,  exclaiming, 
“What  did  you  bring  a  nigger  for  ?”  Her  life  proved  a  very 
hard  one,  for  the  family  was  large,  and  often  was  she  so  ragged 
she  was  the  butt  of  the  farm  hands.  Not  allowed  to  go  to  school 
her  one  desire  was  to  have  an  education,  as  she  could  barely 
read  or  write.  One  day  there  chanced  to  be  a  poor  draggled 
turkey  left  from  a  flock,  and  the  farmer  said  Louisa  might  have 
it.  She  cared  for  it  night  and  day,  and  then  sold  it  for  a  dollar. 
This  was  the  first  money  she  ever  possessed,  but  to  this  she  was 
able  to  add  a  few  others.  When  her  eighteenth  birthday  was 
approaching,  she  told  the  farmer’s  wife  she  was  going  to  leave, 


7 


but  the  woman  laughed  at  the  idea,  saying,  “  You  have  neither 
money  nor  clothes,  nor  place  to  go  to.  ”  When  the  birthday  came 
she  rose  early  for  her  usual  work  and  then,  before  the  house¬ 
hold  was  awake,  walked  toward  Charlestown.  She  was  success¬ 
ful  in  getting  a  situation  where  she  could  go  to  school.  When 
her  young  mistress,  to  whom  she  was  much  attached,  married 
Prof.  Peabody,  she  went  into  her  service.  Louisa  had  become 
a  Christian,  was  a  regular  attendant  upon  the  prayer  meetings 
and  was  much  interested  in  Foreign  Missions.  She  had  heard 
that  $12.00  would  support  a  girl  in  Ceylon,  and  was  dis¬ 
appointed  to  find  the  sum  needed  was  $20.00. 

Nothing  daunted,  she  determined  to  contribute  the  sum 
required,  and  to  make  up  the  deficiency,  procured  shoes  to  bind 
from  the  factory  at  Lyme.  This  work  she  did  late  in  the  evening 
after  household  duties  were  accomplished.  Louisa  is  now  a 
dignified  looking  old  woman,  with  snow  white  hair,  modest  and 
quiet  in  her  manner,  and  very  much  surprised  that  anything  she 
has  done  should  be  made  the  subject  of  a  “Leaflet”  for  a 
Missionary  Society. 


OFFICERS  OF  THE  WOMAN’S  UNION  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY. 
Mrs.  Henry  Johnson,  President . 

Miss  S.  D.  Doremus,  Corresponding  Secretary. 

Miss  Elizabeth  Stone,  Assistant  Treasurer , 

Mission  Room,  67  Bible  House,  New  York. 


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